


Empty Throne

by immortaltomo



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Blood, Death, Gore, M/M, Royalty AU, Theo wears eyeliner that’s pretty kewl :3, Violence, prince!liam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 02:10:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15451080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immortaltomo/pseuds/immortaltomo
Summary: Liam is a prince and bad things happen when he leaves the safety of the castle.[I wrote this as an assignment for my creative writing class and figured eh why not post it]





	Empty Throne

Liam jerked as though he was being awakened from a nightmare as a cracking sound echoed in the dimly lit alleyway. In the time it took to blink, the entire world spun like a dizzying amusement park ride. He couldn’t figure out why he was suddenly staring up at the midnight sky with stars shimmering brightly in his light blue eyes, heartbeat roaring so loudly in his ear it was impossible to hear anything else. In that nigh-imperceptible moment everything had changed.

It only took him another few moments for him to realize what had happened, and in that instance the pain hit him. The pain _always_ found him.

The fiery sensation and dampness of his own blood soaking through his clothes was all he had felt when everything around him had started to faded.

_How could this have happened_ , he thought. _Where did I go wrong?_

**~~~**

He could feel the blood on his forehead: cool and wet from the recent attack. He groaned as the bright light met his eyes as he tried to adjust from the darkness of his unconsciousness. He looked around the room, or well tried. Everything was still blurry.

“Well well well,” a voice said. Instinctively, he turned towards the source of the noise. In his current state, he couldn’t make out much of the voices physical features, but he could see an outline of what was a person. He blinked hard, taking him a moment before the blurriness subsided, and he saw a male with dark hair sitting not too far from him. 

“Look who is awake!” He let out a small laugh as he shifted from the chair to his feet.

The man advanced towards him and his first survival instinct was to run. That’s when he realized his hands were behind his head; attached to the wall in cuffs. He yanked hard, struggling to get out of the hold. Adrenaline was coursing through his body, causing his heart to race as the metal against his wrist burned with every futile attempt. He kept trying and trying and--

“So naive,” The man, who now stood in front of him, shook his head in amusement. He was now crouched in front of him. Due to their close proximity, he was able to make out more of the man's features. He had dark brown hair which peaked out of the beanie he was wearing. Dark black slightly smudged liner under his eyes that made his deep blues strikingly prominent, holding such an icy stare that sent shivers down his spine. His attire was a pair of well worn and tattered black jeans, a white undershirt with a leather jacket that looked like it had seen far better days over it. His face showed his young age and slight dimples were present when he smiled.

“Liam was it?” He smirked. It seemed amused yet venomous, playful yet devilish, causing Liam to squirm in his restraints.

“What do you want?” His voice hoarse from being out for who knows how long.

“I’m just a little curious why you people think you can just stroll in here, do whatever you want, and pretend like you’re the victim in all of this?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He spat.

The last thing Liam remembered was arriving at the Isles. He was so tired of his parents being strict and overprotective of him that there came a point where Liam had simply had enough. He spent his whole life trapped inside those castle walls, desperately craving any experience from any part of the world that wasn’t corridors and stone walls littered with oil paints of every king before him.

The Isles was far different than Beacon Hills. The streets were dimly lit and a fog swept through the whole city. The buildings were run down; seemingly built with scrap sheet of metal or old wood that looked molded and rotten. Garbage littered the street where families were setting up their homes. In the midst of it all there was a small market. The smell of fish filled his nose as he passed by a couple fishermen. Other shops of fruit and clothing lined both sides of the street; people called out to earn a bit of profit for themselves. Children ran around in tattered clothes as adults yelled at them to return; boots clattered on the streets; coins jingled as they were exchanged, and men laughed as they shared stories with each other. The sight of these people suffering made Liam’s heart ached. Beacon Hills was bright, clean, and, well, the complete opposite of what the Isles was. There was no castle or grasslands. Nothing of color popped out as Liam walked like there was in Beacon Hills, but they had created a home, a community for themselves that in a dark kind of way was truly beautiful.

“All you damn royalty are the same,” he muttered, twirling a knife in his hand before bringing it to Liam’s face. The cool metal brushed across the sensitive skin of his cheek. “Always thinking that rules don’t apply to you,” he smirked. Slight pressure was placed on the knife but not enough to puncture the skin.

Liam should have been aware of the risks. Since he was in diapers he was told stories of how the Isles was filled with monsters and criminals. His father had told him countless times about the danger on the island, yet he simply wanted to be somewhere where he didn't have his parents constantly breathing down his neck, controlling his every decision. He had taken a whole week to plan his escape down to the very detail, but looking back on it now, maybe he should have spent some time planning what he would actually do when he got to the Isles because now he was here; chained to the wall with a massive headache.

The sound of the door slamming caught both of their attention, but with the knife still pressed against his skin, he couldn’t turn to see who had entered the room. Beanie man glanced over his shoulder; a small smile forming on his face.

“Theo!” A female’s voice boomed as she approached the two. “How many times do I have to tell you we need him alive?”

“Not to worry love, I was just trying to show our guest some hospitality,” He replied pulling the knife away, and making his way to his feet.

“There’s a report of a possible attack at the school, and I need you to go with me to check it out,” she said.

“With pleasure, ” the man replied, closing the door. There was an unmistakable click of the lock once it was shut causing Liam’s heart to sink. Even if there was a way out of these shackles there was no way he’d be able to pick a lock. From outside, he heard their footfalls on the floor and then nothing.

Liam waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was only a bit of light left in the room. It wasn’t much, but Liam could make out the grey murk around the doorframe and walls stained with mold and dirty water.

“Let me out of here!” The scream nearly ripped his throat to shreds in the close echo chamber of the small room; it battered his eardrums. His heart plummeted at the sound of his own voice, so raw and desperate. He was trapped and there was nothing he could do about it. He hadn’t even intended to yell, but maybe, just maybe, someone would come.

Liam had lost track of how long he was in there for. It could have been minutes or an hour by the time Theo had come back. He was barely awake when Theo had burst into the room frantically.

“We gotta go!” He whispered-yelled as he entered the room, and quickly made his way over to where Liam was sitting on the dirty floor. He quickly tried to undo the lock on the cuffs currently around Liam’s wrist.

“What’s going on?” Liam asked worried as Theo fumbled with the lock.

“I’ll explain later. We just need to get out of here. Now!” Theo finally finished with the lock, and before Liam could fully process what was happening, Theo was pulling him to his feet and asking if he could walk. The room spun as everything began to fuse together. His legs felt weak from sitting for too long and his arms limp and sore from being chained, but Liam nodded slowly in response. With that, Theo was leading Liam out of the dark room, peaking into the hallway before ushering Liam to follow him. Liam did as he was instructed because what else was he supposed to do? He was too weak physically to run, and Theo, without a doubt, could take him given his form. He followed him until they were out of the building and sneaking through the streets of the Isles.

People laid on the blacktop, their bodies littered in bruises that reminded Liam of little galaxies. All mottled in green and purples and stormy pewter. Those little galaxies, the little lines of scabbed up scarlet and pinks are the only colors on them. They’re drained, nearly achromatic except for the speckles of shocking pigments that dance over them like paint on a canvas. Just scabbed up, bruised up things decaying into husks. He had to turn his gaze away before he got too sick. So many innocent lives, he thought as he increased his pace till he was next to Theo once again. He followed him into a rundown building with layers of graffiti scribbled across it’s exterior and down the grimy hallway until he stopped at a room labeled 72A. Theo hesitated for just a second, then gripped the door handle, pulling Liam into what appeared to be a tiny apartment. The door slammed behind his back as Theo let out a soft relieved sigh.

“What’s going on?” Liam asked turning his attention away from the room and to Theo.

He was met with silence and an expressionless face.

“No,” He snapped suddenly filled with rage and frustration. Liam felt like he deserves an explanation of sorts. He wanted to know why one minute Theo had a knife pressed against his throat, and the next he was helping him escape the very restraints he had put him in. None of it made any sense. “You don’t just get to drag me wherever the hell you want and not give me an explanation, so you better tell me what is going on!” his throat dry and weak, yet somehow still managing to find the strength to yell.

“Tracy was going to kill you!”

Liam dropped his head, and fumbled with the hem of his shirt in silence. He had never heard that name before, but he assumed it was the girl who had come in earlier to get Theo.

“Yeah,” Theo huffed. “You’re welcome by the way,” voice dripping in sarcasm.

“Why would you come back for me? Why didn’t you just let her--”

“Because you’re the prince Liam!” Theo yelled cutting him off mid sentence. “I am sick of rotting away in this hellscape, and if you’re the key to getting the hell out of here, then I’m not letting Tracy, your father, or anyone get in the way of that!”

“So I’m still your prisoner until what? Until my father orders a raid and finds me? Theo let me help you,” Liam suggested. It was probably his only escape. If he just pretended to help Theo he could get off this miserable Island and listen to his father say I told you so when he got back. “Let me talk to my father. I can convince him better than your pointless threats can.”

“You would do that?” Liam nods in response.

**~~~**

The plan wasn’t perfect, but it was the only one they had. Theo had mentioned that traders come at night to the port and they both agreed it would be the best extraction point. He would hide below deck, and once he was back in Beacon Hills, he would convince his father to allow the Isles their freedom.

They walked quickly down the street trying to avoid being seen. Liam followed Theo’s instructions, who was close behind him, but once he found himself facing a brick wall with no exit he quickly turned back to Theo’s to question his navigations.

He was met with the barrel of a light caliber.

“You didn’t actually think I would let you run back to daddy, did you?” He smiled smugly with a devilish look in his eyes.

Harsh static buzzed in his ears, and Liam couldn’t move. A pool of blood spread along his right flank, and the entire side of his body flamed with pain. A surging wave of agony suddenly washed over him; pain was shooting throughout his entire body from his leg. His pulse was racing, and his skin was a little cold and clammy.

Liam hissed in a breath, _He shot me_ , he thought. _Theo actually shot me._

Liam swallowed, his throat barely working constricting as he tried to breathe. A squeak of agony popped from his lips like a bubble. The pain radiating from his thigh had cranked up, and the thought of moving terrified him. He wondered if he was going to pass out. 

The man crouched next to him with the same smirk plastered across his face like always. 

“I thought you were smart Liam,” He started. “I thought maybe that royal education of yours would help you but apparently I gave you too much credit.” 

Liam blinked rapidly, clearing his eyes again. They kept clouding over and he couldn’t afford to sink into unconsciousness. 

He had to stay awake. He wouldn’t let shock claim him, but right now all he could do was stare at the sky. Looking straight up at the glimmering stars, he could almost hear his own mother's voice in his ear telling him the story of Peter Pan. 

“You really think you’re going to get away with this?” he laughed. There wasn’t anything funny about the situation he was in, so why was he laughing? He was bleeding out in the middle of an alley for crying out loud! Theo was probably about to put a bullet in his skull in a couple seconds, yet here he was laughing about it like it was some sick joke. The pain was probably affecting his brain and causing his emotions to be all out of whack. Still shivering, his body definitely going into shock, Liam forced himself into a sitting position. 

“Yeah because you’ll be dead, and well, do you see any witnesses around?” he said, standing back on his feet waving the gun around recklessly. 

“I don’t have time to waste anymore,” Theo huffed slightly with annoyance. “It’s time for you to go, and for me to claim my reward.” 

With a rush of agony, Liam levered himself up from the ground, pushing off with his hands. He tried to keep his weight off his right side, but it was damn near impossible, and a fresh wave of hell erupted along that side of his body as he reached out towards the other male. Theo, distracted for just a moment, watched him wide-eyed before raising the gun towards him again. 

Just an instant too late. 

Despite the pain coursing through his whole entire body, he launched himself at Theo in hopes to save his own life. The gun fired into the air, ringing in his ear, as they landed on the pavement. Another wave of pain slammed at Liam, bringing with it a feeling of nausea. He forced himself to ignore it and focus on getting the gun away from Theo. 

His brain couldn’t process what was happening. Everything around him felt like it was moving at supersonic speed. In an instance his forearm was pressed against Theo’s airway blocking it. The other male struggled underneath Liam’s body weight. Theo gasped, thrashed only once, then lay perfectly still, gun slipping out of his grip and clanging on the ground. 

Liam scampered away from the male horrified with himself. Theo wasn’t breathing, and the look in his eyes was indescribable. He knew that he did what he had to do to survive, but taking someone’s life was something Liam never even imagined doing or was even capable of doing. He sunk against the brick wall of the alleyway, hissing as his leg burned, slowly bleeding the life from him. 

He reached down to probe his leg, carefully feeling as the pain increased. He found a hole in his jeans and one in his thigh. The bullet hole itself was small, but there was definitely nothing small about the amount of pain or blood for that matter. Grimacing, he stuck his thumb in the bullet hole. The sudden new jolt of pain struck him like lightning. He screamed, sweat-drenched, hoping for someone- anyone- to hear him and rescue him from bleeding out. 

_No one came._

_No one would be coming._

He wondered if he would bleed to death or freeze to death first. It wasn’t particularly warm outside in the middle of March, and with the added chilliness from going into shock, he could just as easily fall to hyperthermia as he could to blood loss. 

He kicked off his shoe and stuck the tongue of it in his mouth. He needed something to bite down on as he continued to poke around his wound. 

There was no exit wound. The bullet was still in there. 

Liam didn’t know a whole lot about the human body- he rarely ever paid attention in class-but he was almost positive that digging around his flesh to fish out the bullet was going to be more harmful than anything else. He took off his shirt, and tightly tied it around his thigh, covering the wound. It would suffice as a bandage for now at least. All he could do now was hope that it would be enough, and that it would slow the blood loss long enough for him to find some help and not get an infection. 

There was nothing to stop the persistent aching from his leg. There was no longer blood streaming down his leg, but his leg still throbbed. Liam bit down on his bottom lip trying to stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. His eyes were heavy and slightly blurry, and all he wanted to do was sleep. He was so-- 

__No. Don’t sleep. You can’t fall asleep!_ Liam mentally yelled at himself. _Sleep means death and you’ve worked too hard to stay alive.__

He wanted to scream, but he had nothing left in him, so he whimpered instead, letting hot tears spill down his cheeks. He couldn’t control the thoughts roaming in his head; the realization that he was going to die right here in this alleyway without ever telling his parents goodbye. He cried and cried until his breathing steadied and mind calmed. He glanced once more at the stars above him hearing his mother’s voice retelling the story of the lost boys faintly in the back of his head before allowing sleep to take over him. 

_“Second star to the right and straight on til morning.”_

**Author's Note:**

> awful. I know. tell me about it *zzz _zzzz_


End file.
